Someone different in your neighborhood does not necessarily mean they are there for the wrong reasons. You can alert your neighbors of possible suspicious activity before anything escalates to a crime or police matter. Ideally, any Neighborhood Watch group member at home will go outside or look out their window to see who or what has been spotted. If someone is there for the wrong reasons, they do not want to be seen. Neighbors actively present in their front yard is a deterrent all by itself. If someone is up to no good, they have now been spotted and more than likely, will not be able to commit a crime in your neighborhood and will move on.
We do not want you to ever put yourself in harm’s way or aggressively confront anyone. If you feel that you need to speak to someone, coming from a place of help is the best approach. You can ask if they are lost or if they need help. If they respond positively, you have turned a potentially negative situation into a positive one. If the response is negative, we strongly recommend not arguing and disengaging. Alert your neighbors to keep their eyes open and if necessary, call the non-emergency number 621-7000 and alert the police to a suspicious person or activity in your neighborhood. Make sure you have a great description of the person, what they are wearing, height, gender, etc. If someone is committing a crime, please call 9-1-1.